After Collins promised he would not restrict reproductive rights, Kavanaugh ruled to allow employers to block their employees’ access to birth control
Today, Brett Kavanaugh joined a majority ruling to uphold a Trump administration regulation allowing certain employers to limit their employees’ access to birth control through their health care plans. This follows Kavanaugh’s anti-choice dissent last week that confirmed the worst fears of many Mainers who opposed his confirmation: Senator Susan Collins misled the public about Kavanaugh’s respect for reproductive rights and cast a key vote to put him on the court where he will pose a threat to Roe v. Wade for years to come.
According to government estimates, up to 126,000 people could lose birth control access as a result of today’s ruling. But the Trump administration regulation upheld today wasn’t the first time Washington Republicans have tried to give employers the power to revoke access to birth control. In 2012, Senator Collins cosponsored legislation that would have done the same thing.
Not only did Collins vote to put justices on the Supreme Court who would vote against reproductive rights, she actively supported legislation to take birth control access away from tens of thousands of Americans. That’s why pro-choice advocates who supported Collins in the past, including Planned Parenthood and NARAL, have said she can no longer be trusted to defend our reproductive rights.
“With today’s ruling, Brett Kavanaugh has shown us for the second time in two weeks that he will consistently chip away at reproductive rights,” said Maine Democratic Party Chair Kathleen Marra. “Senator Collins’ actions have proven that she’s willing to sell out our rights when it suits her partisan interests, and Kavanaugh’s rulings have laid bare the false promises she made to justify her support for his confirmation.”
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